Come 2014, Nigeria would have clocked 100  years since the amalgamation of the Southern and Northern  Protecterates by British colonialists. In view of our chequered history so far, is Nigeria’s 100 years of existence worth celebrating? Our correspondent Calista Ezeaku and photographer, Dele Obinna sought the veiws of Nigerians. Excerpts:

Mr Madume Nixom – Civil Servant

What is the achievement in this 100 years? Is it good road, electricity? We have so many issues at hand. Fine, celebrating 100 years is good but on what basis are we celebrating?  A man of 100 years is expected to have achieved at lot but to me as a nation we have a lot of  challenges facing us- no good roads, no electricity, insecurity and so on.

So for me, if we must celebrate 100 years of amalgamation, let it be a low key celebration. Let us just thank God that at least we’ve clocked 100 years. Let it not be an elaborate celebration where a lot of money will be lavished on things that have nothing to do with Nigerians. I  want our leaders to use this 100 years celebration to think of how to move this nation forward. Let them look at the issue of job creation for the youth. Let them improve on power supply. We have been suffering of power failure for a long time.  If they had at least, achieved adequate power supply in the country, every Nigerian will be happy when you talk of celebrating 100 years.  To me, the only reason we should celebrate is that Nigeria has continued to be one nation. But on the other way round, I don’t see any reason for that. Is it an avenue for people to enrich themselves through the celebration?

Mr. Ime Ita _ Business man

I think it is good to celebrate the 100 years of amalgamation of Southern and Northern Nigeria but as we do that, let us think of how to improve our economy. Our economy is not stable, there is serious inequality in the country. So we should think  of how to develop and sustain our economy.

So far, I think we have tried but we are supposed to do more. We are not developing the way we are supposed to because of corruption and inequality in Nigeria. So I will like our leaders to find ways of tackling corruption in Nigeria. Let them improve internal security in the country and also invest on programmes and projects that will be beneficial to every citizen of Nigeria.

Nnaebuka Ezeonugo – Banker

I will say yes and no. Yes in the sense that it is not easy for a country to mark its N100 years of amalgamation. It’s a laudable achievement. However, what I don’t support is lavishing so much  money on the celebration rather than trashing the real issues that need our attention at this time. The best we have achieved is trying to have a civilian government which we are currently enjoying and I believe that with time, we are going to get better.

But I think that for us to be one of the great nations in future, we really have to enact policies that will actually support the youth in a lot of ways. If you look at the educational system in Nigeria, you wonder where the country is heading to. The decadence in the tertiary institutions is really very worrisome. What about the quality of graduates we produce now, people that can’t defend themselves. That is really an indication that the educational system has been defective, I believe we are supposed to be improving by the day not going down. In our time, it was a thing of joy for parents to say my son, my daughter is in federal university. But I don’t think that is the case any longer. Every body wants to send his children abroad or to private universities.

So I don’t think we’ve really achieved much in education.  They keep saying we should be self employed but they don’t encourage these young graduates to actually bring out what they have in them. The process of securing loan is so difficult. So there is little or nothing that will really favour the youth and the young graduates, and it really calls for concern. If 50 years before now, these people that are at the helm of affairs did not get quality education and  other necessary things that have kept them where they are, I doubt if they would have been in the positions they occupy now.

So if we don’t invest on today’s youth, if we don’t cater for them, in the next 50 years or 100 years,  what will become of this nation?

And for us to continue to exist as one country, we should forget about ethnicity and come together to work for the common good of the nation. Every geo-political zone in this country is endowed with one thing or the other. We need to pull these resources together for the development of the country. Government on the other hand should try and provide the basic needs of the citizens both in the urban and rural areas – good education, adequate power supply, good healthcare system, that is all we ask for.

Mr Achebe Chigozie – Transporter

It is worth while celebrating the 100 years of amalgamation because this is a great nation that cannot be compared with any other nation in the African  sub region. That is why we are called giant of  Africa. When we think of all the challenges that the country had passed through and still remains one country for 100 years, it calls for celebration. I know that politically we are not yet matured as should be expected but gradually we can mature.

Some people have been clamouring for the division of the country due to series of challenges facing us but for me, that is not a solution to our problem. We should continue to forge ahead as one nation.

People like late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe preached one Nigeria and that is where I stand. United we stand, divided we fall.

My only advice is that we should pray to God to give us a leader, the person could be Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Efik, or what have you, it doesn’t really matter, provided he is someone that can rule us in the fear of God. Let us unite and make Nigeria strong.

Mrs Onuigbo Comfort – Business Woman

I think we should celebrate the centenary of Nigeria’s amalgamation because at least Nigeria is still one country. We have not divided. Although we have lost so many souls in the recent past, we that are living ought to celebrate and give thanks to God for the gift of life. We should celebrate, future Nigeria should be better. However, with all that we’ve lost and bearing in mind that Nigeria is not where it is supposed to be educationally, economically, politically and all that. The celebration should not be an elaborate one.  And for this country to move forward,  our leaders should be sincere in the fight against corruption. Let them invest in education and youth empowerment.

Perri Tamuno – Owunari – Public Servant / Environmentalist

Eeem!  Some will say it’s worth it you see how far the country has gone, pieces of development, you know how we went into civil war and still remain one entity, then you can say let’s celebrate. But for the present age, I believe they’ll say it is not worthwhile, seeing the crisis in the country now.

If the British took cognizance of the different tribes in the country, they would have laid down some conditions for us to live peacefully, forecasting how Nigeria would look like in the next 50, 100 years. But those things were not taken into consideration and that is why we see ethnic and religious crisis every now and then. That is why some people say that coming together as one entity has done us more harm than good. You see, the South South people, Ndigbo, the Arewa people, the Yorubas saying they need to go their ways. That is to say that the foundation was not right.

But as individuals, I think we need to celebrate because it’s not easy. You’ll see some countries that have stayed for 30 to 40 years being into deep crisis.  If you see what is going on in Mali, you will know that it is worthwhile celebrating our existence as one country. And we pray that the so-called Sovereign National Conference will be called for every tribe, every region to discuss how we can continue to exist as one. We still need Nigeria as one. No region can stay as a separate entity for now. We need each other as a body.

However, in the past 100 years. I don’t think we have done well developmentally. We have disabused the principle of sustainable development. There is no equal distribution of wealth. You see high rate of marginalization. Resources from one area being used to develop another area without commensurate development of where that resources is coming from. You see decay of infrastructure everywhere.